Farm-gate



No. 6|8,852. Patent-ed Feb. 7, I899.

M. m. DUNGAN. FARM GATE.

(Application filed May 21, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

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.dttorney.

NiTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL M. DUNGAN, OF. HOMER, ILLINOIS.

FARM-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,852, dated February 7, 1899. Application filed May 21, 1898. Serial No. 681,278. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, MICHAEL M. DUNGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Ohampaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Farm-Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in farm-gates, and especially that class adapted to be employed for closing a thoroughfare, and to furnish means whereby the said gate may be operated from a position within a vehicle or by a pedestrian, as desired.

The invention consists in the general arrangement of the various parts to be hereinafter described and'claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved I gate and its supplementary parts, showing the gate in a partially-opened condition. Fig. 2 is an end view taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts.

0, d, and 6 represent three posts, of any suitable material, arranged in the ground to stand in a line substantially at right angles to the plane of the gate 0. Through the upper end of these posts passes the horizontal shaft B and is journaled therein, for a purpose to be hereinafter pointed out.

The gate 0 is supported upon the bar D, which extends from the center post 61 to the post f, arranged a suitable distance from the center post d, so as to permit the gate to be slid entirely open. The bar D is provided with the roller-tracks g and it upon its upper and lower edges, and between these tracks and the upper and lower edges of the two top boards 75 and l of the gate are the free grooved rollers m, arranged to engage the tracks and edges of the boards, so as to secure the gate from lateral disengagement and at the same time permit it to be freely rolled backward and forward in the operation of closing and opening.

As a convenient means of manipulating the gate from a position within a vehicle upon either side thereof the shaft B is provided with the hand-wheels G at either end thereof, and at a point'adjacent to the center post upon the opposite side of the gate the lever E is fixed, having its lower end slotted to engage withthe grooved roller F, journaled upon a suitable pin fixed to the upright F of the gate. The slot 25 is made of sufficient length to permit the lever E to be swung around the shaft B, by means of which the gate is caused to roll backward and forward in the operation of closing and opening.

Of course it will be understood that the posts 0 and 6 may be arranged at any suitable distance from the gate, so as to accommodate any style of vehicle, and also that the Wheels G, by means of which the shaft B is rotated, may be of any desired size or form for the convenience of the operator.

At the forward end of the gate there is the fifth post it, provided with a suitable recess 0, with which the hooked end 1) of the latch E engages. This latch is preferably pivoted at its central point 8 to one of the uprights in the gate and its rear end held downward by means of the weight 9" or its equivalent. By this means it will be seen the latch will act automatically as the gate is closed, the forward end latching in the usual manner common and well known in that class of devices.

The advantage of this arrangement is that the latch will not become disengaged by the mere raising of the forward end of the gate, which is often attempted by animals in endeavoring to escape therethrough, for as it is raised the latch swings upon its pivot-point, thus allowing the forward end to remain in its locked position.

It will be apparent that my improved gate may be employed either with or without the operating-shaft'and its connections. However, when this operating attachment is employed the latch E is rendered automatic in its action byv providing the downward projection w upon the lower edge of the latch at its rear end to engage and ride over the pin H, secured upon the inside of the center post d. The inclined surfaces upon this projection 10 are located with reference to the pin H, so that when the gate is in its closed condition the one which lies nearest the rear end of the latch will rest just forward of the actuatingpin, and as the shaft is rotated and the gate started upon its opening movement the inclined downward projection will lie over the pin and throw the forward end of the latch out of engagement with the recess 0 in the forward post. The same movement will occur as the gate is closed, as will readily be observed, throwing the latch into its locking position.

The shaft 13 may be journaled in the upper ends of the posts, as shown, or in a suitable bearing mounted upon the sides thereof, and, as will be readily understood, they may be of any of the common and well-known forms.

From the foregoing the operation of my invention will be apparent. Assuming the gate to be mounted in position upon the rollers and supporting-guide adjacent to the center post d and the lever E rigidly secured to the shaft B by any suitable means and extending downward along the opposite side of'the gate and connected as above described, it may be readily opened or closed by either engaging the gate itself and forcing it backward or forward upon its rollers or, as above specifically pointed out, by means of the actuating handwheels G upon the ends of the horizontal shaft.

It will be obvious that some slight modifications may be made in the general construction and arrangement of the various parts as I have herein shown and described them without materially affecting the results, and I desire to have it understood that although I prefer the form shown I do not limitmyself thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a farm-gate, the combination of suitable posts; a horizontal shaft journaled in the upper end of said posts; a gate composed of horizontal and vertical members; a supportingguide adapted to carry said gate; rollers mounted between said guide and two of the horizontal members of said gate; a lever rigidly secured at its upper end to said horizontal shaft; means for connecting the lower end of said lever to said gate, whereby a rotary motion of the shaft imparts a reciprocating motion to said gate; hand-wheels secured to the outer ends of said shaft; a latch pivoted to the forward end of said gate; and means for automatically operating said latch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL M. DUNGAN.

Witnesses:

L. R. THOMPSON, JOHN W. TURNER. 

